Press reviews

MAZ :: DanceNow! Miami's Touching Tribute
Click here to receive our weekly newsletter
6/3/16, 9:46 AM
Like
DanceNow! Miami's Touching Tribute
Donate
Ensemble Shows Range In Three Choreographic Works
By Cameron Basden
Friday, June 3, 2016
Directors of DanceNow! Miami, Hannah Baumgarten and Diego Salterini, presented a weekend of emotional and whimsical
performances in The Gleason Room Backstage at The Fillmore. Carefully crafted and delivered at opportune moments, the
show carried a message of AIDS and HIV awareness that was a continuous reminder, even as the dancers embraced the
diverse mix of choreography and styles in each piece.
Lacrymosa, a 25-minute work created for the Joffrey Ballet by the young Edward Stierle, a Hollywood, Fla., native, was the
culmination of the evening. Eddie passed away from complications from AIDS in the early 90s at the age of 23. He left a
legacy in this lovely tapestry of passion, love, and friendship haunted by the ever present figure of Death ( a stately role for
Salterini in his return to the stage.) However, the ballet is mostly about celebrating life and the living. Allyn Ginns, as the
friend, and Anthony Velazquez, as the man (representing Eddie) made the story their own in this day and time. It worked. The
full ensemble danced with fervor and unity in this emotional journey. It will get stronger and stronger with time as we look for it
to be repeated next year.
The other works on the program were by the two directors. In her choreographic work, Baumgarten tends to be the sensual,
sometimes angst ridden choreographer while Salterini is lighter and, many times, adds a touch of poetic humor. Both were
true to form in their offerings. It is always interesting to see what they create, and sometimes to see what they create together
with their two unique voices.
In the world premier of Baumgarten’s Slo Touch, sensuality is ever present. During opening remarks, she said, “That thing of
touch” to enhance the mood and prepare the audience for what was to come.
With music by Ray Charles, overlayed with DREHZ and lyrics by Nina Simone, how can one not feel? The group’s “slow
motion” beginning blended into three couples that occasionally merged into unified legato lifts and swirls. Each of the three
couples represented emotions and actions. By the end, one could see that relationships are complicated. Benicka J. Grant
and Luke Stockton were eye catching in their volatile mix of legs, lifts and sexy maneuvers.
http://www.miamiartzine.com/Features.php?op=Article_That+Thing+of+Touch
Page 1 of 4
MAZ :: DanceNow! Miami's Touching Tribute
6/3/16, 9:46 AM
A solo for the statuesque, Amy Deer, followed in Baumgarten’s 2009 Unburden. Moving
expansively through and beyond a very long and elegant green dress, Deer seemed to
eat up space as she struggled and searched for freedom in an exhausting and powerful
journey. Moving from quirky and tense jerks to one leg balances, she eventually is
unburdened and free.
Salterini’s choreography takes us in a different direction. In the world premier of X/Y, The Engine of Life, Isvel Bello and Jenny
Hegarty, in colorful yellow and red matching unitards, are chromosomes. Struggle, repetition, sometimes getting ahead,
sometimes falling behind, trying again. Life is like that! In very simple dance vocabulary, Bello and Hegarty were mesmerizing
before breaking out into rotations of dynamic rhythms only to repeat what had been done before. The occasional looks at each
other added a touch of humor while keeping an unanswered question of hierarchy between the two dancers.
Drawing Circles was Salterini’s ode to MiMo Architecture using sculptural shapes set against a Philip Glass score with the
dancers wearing Karin Bejerano’s effective biketards. In spiral runs and rounded arms, the two couples rotated in clear and
contemporary moves that relied very much on uniformity and structure in the classical shapes the piece demanded. The
beauty of the classic positions was undeniable.
As a lighthearted but serious reminder of the AIDS virus, Paul Seligmann from CARE RESOURCE gave a little tap dance and
song in his Prep Rap regaling the merits of “one pill a day keeps HIV away.” The full house responded with enthusiasm, as they
did for the entire evening.
DanceNow! is always surprising in their offerings whether it is a new work, in-house choreography by the directors, a piece from
the past or one with a message. The dancers use their technique as a vehicle for expression. The company is growing,
exploring and beginning to have the ability to venture into more areas. All arts need support, dance included. In this artistic
boom in Miami, it takes everyone to make it happen.
0 Comments
Sort by Oldest
Add a comment...
Facebook Comments Plugin
http://www.miamiartzine.com/Features.php?op=Article_That+Thing+of+Touch
Page 2 of 4
Dance Now! Miami expande su horizonte con el estreno de ‘Lacrymosa’ | El Nuevo Herald
5/24/16, 6:01 PM
Safari Power Saver
Click to Start Flash Plug-in
DANZA
MAYO 24, 2016 4:39 AM
Dance Now! Miami en ‘Slo Touch’. PePeddrroo PoPorrttaall - [email protected]
Dance Now! Miami expande su horizonte con
el estreno de ‘Lacrymosa’
EN RESUMEN
Dance Now! Miami ofreció un programa con sus últimas funciones
de la temporada
La función abrió con ‘Slo Touch’ de Baumgarten, un avispado ejercicio
para seis bailarines
‘Lacrymosa’ es un documento histórico en el formato de una elegía
coreográ!ca retrospectiva
ORLANDO TAQUECHEL Especial/el
Nuevo Herald
El fin de semana pasado, el grupo Dance Now! Miami que dirigen Hannah Baumgarten y Diego Salterini, presentó sus
últimas funciones de la temporada 2015-2016 en el pequeño Gleason Room ubicado entre los bastidores del teatro
Fillmore Miami Beach.
En esta oportunidad, el grupo ofreció un programa integrado por cuatro obras de danza contemporánea y una de ballet
(Lacrymosa, estreno para la compañía). Dos de ellas, Slo Touch y X/Y The Engine of Life, fueron estrenos mundiales.
Entre los patrocinadores de estas funciones estuvo Care Resource, una agencia proveedora de servicios de salud a
personas viviendo con VIH y, por ese motivo, se incluyó también un simpático número de tap a cargo de Paul Seligmann
que explica la profilaxis de preexposición (o PrEP) como estrategia para prevenir la adquisición del virus utilizando un
estribillo pegajoso (“one pill a day, keeps HIV away”).
Por su parte, los bailarines de Dance Now! Miami mostraron sensibilidad a flor de piel en Slo Touch; cualidad estelar en
Unburden; magnetismo en X/Y; ductilidad en Drawing Circles y aliento académico en Lacrymosa.
La función abrió con Slo Touch de Baumgarten, un avispado ejercicio para seis bailarines(Isvel Bello, Amy Deer, Allyn
Ginns, Benicka J. Grant, Luke Stockton y Anthony Velazquez) con música soul de Ray Charles, los sonidos progresivos de
Drehz y la voz de contralto profunda de Nina Simone.
A continuación, la belleza distante de Amy Deer aportó algo de intriga a la búsqueda de alivio que se expone en
Unburden (2009), creado igualmente por Baumgarten.
Dos obras de Salterini completaron la primera parte del programa.
En X/Y The Engine of Life, la sugerente música original de Federico Bonacossa, la sencillezdel diseño de vestuario de
Marilyn Skow, el interesante trabajo de piso y la imaginería de Salterini nos hacen olvidar que esta es la historia de dos
cromosomas haciendo su trabajo y el resultado es un encuentro alucinante con dos intérpretes espléndidos: el seductor
Isvel Bello y la irresistible Jenny Hegarty.
Salterini es un creador que puede darse el lujo de repetir soluciones (la diagonal al final, por ejemplo) porque sus
coreografías son obras “de autor” que se construyen en tiempo presente y nunca tienen dos momentos iguales. El trazo
puede resultar parecido, pero cada segundo es un mundo aparte en el universo Salterini.
Drawing Circles es una excursión modernista con música de Philip Glass que avanza demanera resuelta apoyándose en
la entrega entusiasta de Allyn Ginns, Benicka J. Grant, Luke Stockton y Anthony Velazquez.
La terrible pandemia del VIH/SIDA fue un tema recurrente en el programa como recordatorio de que la enfermedad
sigue extendiéndose sin descanso y la noche concluyó con la presentación de Lacrymosa, de Edward Stierle, que falleció
de SIDA en 1991 a los 23años de edad.
http://www.elnuevoherald.com/entretenimiento/danza/article79372497.html
Page 1 of 4
Dance Now! Miami expande su horizonte con el estreno de ‘Lacrymosa’ | El Nuevo Herald
5/24/16, 6:01 PM
Lacrymosa es un documento histórico en el formato de una elegía coreográfica retrospectiva para nueve bailarines, con
música de Mozart y unos 30 minutos de duración, en la que se destacaron el viernes Anthony Velázquez, Allyn Ginns y
Diego Salterini en su regreso a escena.
Velázquez es un intérprete sensible y un ejecutante virtuoso que pulveriza la impresión impactante de un físico colosal de
apariencia inexpugnable con un solo desgarrador implorando vida (lo mejor de Lacrymosa) en desborde histriónico
heredero directo de Marlon Brando. Ginns, en zapatillas de punta, está estupenda como efigie angustiosa y Salterini es
convincente en el papel de la Muerte.
La melodramática Lacrymosa fue el primer trabajo importante de Stierle para el Joffrey Ballet y mantiene intacta esa fuerza
comunicativa tan especial que viene del entusiasmo arrogante propio del debutante que quiere decirlo todo de una vez,
aunque se le atropellen las referencias y no disponga todavía de un lenguaje propio.
Este intento audaz de Dance Now! Miami por hacer algo nuevo y diferente se agradece aunque todavía se sienta como un
trabajo en proceso. Una vez perfeccionado el estilo, Lacrymosa debe convertirse en una carta de triunfo para el grupo.
Baumgarten y Salterini logran una vez más armar un buen programa para bailarines contemporáneos de formidable
voluntad expresiva y el público los premia con una larga ovación de pie al final.
http://www.elnuevoherald.com/entretenimiento/danza/article79372497.html
Page 2 of 4
R eq uiem F or A
Dancer, R evived | W
LR N
5/23/16, 4:47 PM
(/)
!
Donate (http://donate.wlrn.org/)
Listen Live (http://player.wlrn.org/)
Requiem For A Dancer, Revived
By ALICIA ZUCKERMAN (/PEOPLE/ALICIA-ZUCKERMAN)
•
MAY 19, 2016
Dance Now Miami performs Edward Stierle's "Lacrymosa," Thursday, May 19th through Sunday, May 21st at the Fillmore Miami
Beach (http://www.dancenowmiami.org/calendar.html#may). The ballet was a response to the 1980 AIDS crisis and stands as its
creator's own requiem.
People told Edward Stierle he was too short for ballet. He was around 5'6" or 5'8", depending on who you ask. He'd been dancing
tap and jazz since he was four or five years old, with his big sister Rosemarie teaching his first classes. But he had a calling for
ballet.
His dad didn't like the idea one bit. "I said, 'No, no, no ballet. What are you crazy?'" remembers Bill Stierle, who tells people to
call him Pop. Tears well up in his eyes and his throat catches when he remembers that first reaction. He came around though.
Rosemarie helped convince her parents that her brother had talent that needed to be fostered. They agreed to sign him up
for ballet classes, but there was the issue of gas money. The Stierles and their eight children lived in in Hollywood, Florida
and the ballet teacher was in Hialeah. Pop was the maintenance man at Chaminade, the all-boys Catholic school. Rose,
Edward's mother, ran the lunchroom at the girls school, Madonna. She ended up getting another job cleaning their church,
"so that $25 went into the gas tank to get Eddie to Hialeah," she remembers, laughing.
Bill Stierle threw his support behind his son's dancing too. He proudly accompanied him to competitions. Once, he says,
somebody doubted Edward would be able to lift his dance partner. "He said, 'You're not gonna make it buddy, you're just too
small.' And so Eddie picked this girl up, walked around the room with her over his head, brought her over to the guy, set her
right down in front of the guy, smiled and then walked away."
Edward Stierle left Florida when he got a scholarship to go to high school at the North Carolina School of the Arts. When he
won gold at the prestigious Prix de Lausanne, according to the New York Times, the jury "spent hours deliberating whether it
was fitting to award the top prize to a dancer who in their view didn't have the idealized physique of a classical dancer."
By the time he was 18, Stierle was invited to join the Joffrey Ballet, one of the pinnacles of American dance. He had already
choreographed a solo set to Mozart's Requiem, and when he joined the Joffrey, he was asked to make it into a full-length
ballet.
Edward's mother, ran the lunchroom at the girls school, Madonna. She ended up getting another job cleaning their church,
"so that $25 went into the gas tank to get Eddie to Hialeah," she remembers, laughing.
Bill Stierle threw his support behind his son's dancing too. He proudly accompanied him to competitions. Once, he says,
somebody doubted Edward would be able to lift his dance partner. "He said, 'You're not gonna make it buddy, you're just too
small.' And so Eddie picked this girl up, walked around the room with her over his head, brought her over to the guy, set her
right down in front of the guy, smiled and then walked away."
Edward Stierle left Florida when he got a scholarship to go to high school at the North Carolina School of the Arts. When he
won gold at the prestigious Prix de Lausanne, according to the New York Times, the jury "spent hours deliberating whether
it was fitting to award the top prize to a dancer who in their view didn't have the idealized physique of a classical dancer."
By the time he was 18, Stierle was invited to join the Joffrey Ballet, one of the pinnacles of American dance. He had already
choreographed a solo set to Mozart's Requiem, and when he joined the Joffrey, he was asked to make it into a full-length
ballet.
http://wlrn.org/post/req uiem- dancer- revived
Page 1 of 16
Requiem For A Dancer, Revived | WLRN
5/23/16, 4:47 PM
Just before he turned 19, he tested positive for HIV, and his dance, "Lacrymosa," became a reaction to the 1980s AIDS
crisis. Many dancers and artists around Stierle were dying from the disease, and as he worked on the ballet, he knew he
would become sick too.
At a rehearsal for this week's performances of "Lacrymosa," Stierle's sister, Rosemarie Worton, sits on a folding chair next
to her parents, talking to the dancers from Dance Now Miami about some of the motivation behind the piece. "How do you
leave the people you know? How do you accept death? ... The ballet is acceptance," she says. Pop quietly adds, "To the
end."
Worton continues explaining her brother's intentions for this dance. "Live with vibrancy. ... You know, even as he passed he
would say, 'Are you going to be OK? Life goes on. Keep moving. Keep going.'" The dancers sit on the floor, looking up at her
and choking back tears.
After "Lacrymosa" premiered, a Washington Post critic wrote (http://there's assuredly promise here, and more than
reason enough to await future Stierle endeavors optimistically.), "... there's assuredly promise here, and more than
reason enough to await future Stierle endeavors optimistically."
Those words are heartbreaking, looking back and knowing what was about to
happen. Stierle choreographed one more ballet,"Empyrean Dances." He died three days after its premiere at Lincoln
Center. He was 23.
The critics did in fact seem heartbroken. In the Los Angeles Times, Martin Bernheimer wrote
(http://articles.latimes.com/1991-05-17/entertainment/ca-1825_1_joffrey-ballet), 'Lacrymosa' should have been ... a
footnote to a long, fascinating career. It should have served as an eclectic starting point for a creative spirit that could have
developed in any number of valid directions." In the New York Times, Diane Solway called him a "daring virtuoso."
(http://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/24/arts/dance-mustering-creative-power-in-the-face-of-death.html?
pagewanted=all)Soloway later wrote a biography about Stierle
(https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/diane-solway/a-dance-against-time/); at the rehearsal in Miami, his parents
gave gift-wrapped copies of the book to each dancer.
After Stierle died, his father, who at first was so averse to his son pursuing a life in ballet, traveled around the country talking
to young people and raising awareness about AIDS. "It's still forefront in our lives," he says, "and it's got to be addressed.
That's all there is to it."
The significance of staging this ballet in South Florida is manifold, says Dance Now Miami co-director Hannah
Baumgarten. Stierle was from here, of course. But also, Miami-Dade and
Broward counties have some of highest rates of new HIV cases
(http://www.miamiherald.com/news/health-care/article74554217.html) in the country. "That's not something we should
be proud of," says Baumgarten. “Survival is possible with the virus. People are forgetting that it's something that does
need to still be faced, especially in our communities."
Thursday's Dance Now Miami performance is reserved for LGBTQ teenagers and young adults. Click here for
information about the Friday and Saturday performances
(http://www.dancenowmiami.org/calendar.html#may).
A Dance Against Time: The Brief, Brilliant Life of a Joffrey Dancer (https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/diane-solway/adance-against-time/), biography by Diane Solway
Mustering Creative Power in the Face of Death, (http://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/24/arts/dance-mustering-creativepower-in-the-face-of-death.html?pagewanted=all)The New York Times
A Dance of Life : 'Wake-Up Call' Forces Joffrey Star to Redirect Priorities
(http://articles.latimes.com/1991-03-05/entertainment/ca-107_1_joffrey-ballet), Newsday (via the L.A. Times)
Stierle Dedicates His 1988 Work 'Lacrymosa' to Joffrey's Memory (http://articles.latimes.com/1990- 05-12/entertainment/
ca-1149_1_robert-joffrey), Los Angeles Times
http://wlrn.org/post/requiem-dancer-revived
Page 5 of 16
A Time to Dance and Pay Tribute : Dance Now!’s Masterpiece in M...
http://www.artburstmiami.com/dance-articles/a-time-to-dance-and-p...
(/)
The Source for Media Coverage of The Arts in Miami.
Articles, reviews, previews and features on dance and music performances and events.
A TIME TO DANCE AND PAY TRIBUTE : DANCE
NOW!’S MASTERPIECE IN MOTION
Photo: 'Court Dance' choreographed by Hannah Baumgarten;
photo Jenny Abreu.
WRITTEN BY: DIANA DUNBAR (/OUR-WRITERS/
DIANA-DUNBAR)
PS
Watching Dance Now! Miami’s celebratory tribute to the José Limón Dance Company’s 70th anniversary, it’s clear
Limón’s legacy lives on. The Mexico-born Limón was a pioneer in modern dance, who died in 1972 but whose
company lives on. The program Masterpiece in Motion presented on Friday night, March 18 at the Aventura Arts and
Cultural Center was an exquisite homage to this legend in American modern dance. Dance Now! captures the
timelessness and humanity of Limón’s work, which will be performed twice more at different locations.
“What makes a masterpiece?” ask artistic directors Diego Salterini and Hannah Baumgarten before proceeding to
present us with examples. The company worked closely with Daniel Lewis, dancer, choreographer, and founding
dean of dance at New World School of the Arts. He performed with Limón and his company, and restaged two of
Limón’s works: excerpts from “Duets from a Choreographic Offering” and from “There is a Time.” In this program
Lewis also presents his own choreography in “Beethoven Sextet.”
“Every movement made by a human being...has a design in space,” wrote Doris Humphrey, Limón’s mentor. Duets
from “A Choreographic Offering” (1964) are Limón’s tribute to her. The piece consists of an assembly of dance
movements from Humphrey’s illustrious career. The duets, set to John Sebastian Bach’s “Musical Offering” and
beautifully performed by Amy Deer and Luke Stockton, display the deep respect Limón must have had for his
mentor. It is a precious gift.
Excerpts from “There is a Time” (1956), set to a score by Norman Dello Joio, draw from Chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes:
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” The piece, movingly performed by
Jenny Hegarty and Anthony Velazquez, embodies the text: “A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from
embracing.” The movements enfold around a circular structure and have a deep sense of the humanity and the
connections we have -- or are missing -- with each other.
As “Offering” is a gift from Limón to his mentor, “Beethoven Sextet” (1978) seems to be an honorarium from
Lewis to Limón. First performed by the Daniel Lewis Dance Repertory Company and set to Beethoven’s Piana
Sonata No. 3 in C major, Opus 2, “Sextet” takes Limón’s themes and variations and arranges them into a dance.
The result is stunning. The dancers fall and rebound with a clear mastery of the Limón technique.
Limón once wrote, “The body is an orchestra,” and Lewis is a powerful conductor.
Dance Now!’s tribute to Limón is a wonderful recognition of the genius of the artist and the humanity of his work.
It was performed with, as Humphrey wrote, “light, radiance and wholeness.”
Also on the program are two works by Carolyn Dorfman: “Keystone” and “Odisea.”
“Keystone,” performed to music by Rufus Wainwright, Louis Armstrong, and Jamie Randolph, is a statement on
the complexity of relationships. The couple, Jacqueline Dumas Albert and Louie Marin, is nearly always
intertwined, twisting and weaving in their union. They separate only to reunite to continue the cycle in a
seemingly endless search for a resolution.
1 of 3
3/22/16, 10:45 PM
A Time to Dance and Pay Tribute : Dance Now!’s Masterpiece in M...
http://www.artburstmiami.com/dance-articles/a-time-to-dance-and-p...
“Odisea,” set to music by Greg Wall and Cecelia Margules and visual projection by Salterini, takes on the history of
Jews fleeing Brazil 350 years ago. Intending to return to Amsterdam, they instead land in New Amsterdam (now New
York). Dorfman’s choreography personified their hopefulness on a terrifying journey. The narrative of people seeking
freedom in a new land resonates all too well with today’s current events.
Both Salterini and Baumgarten have pieces in the program. Salterini premieres a new work, “Sogni, The things my
dreams are made of,” set to music by Julia Kent, Barbatuques, Michael Price, and Olafur Arnalds. Here we see a
juxtaposition of ideas and movements. From the cluster of the dancers, moving as one at the beginning, to the surreal
individualism of the second section, we are carried along. In the third section the group reunites, regrouping as a mass
and again moving in unison. A solo dancer moves forward and continues his journey, like a sleepwalker, in a dream we
wish could continue beyond the break of dawn.
Dance Now! Miami will present two more programs at the venues listed below.
Baumgarten gave up a work rife with the intrigue of what lies behind the mask. “Court Dance,” performed to music by
Peter Gabriel and Kodo Drums, presents a jarring contrast between the cool, white masks the dancers wear and the
intensity of the relationship between the central couple. This court dance is not for the faint at heart; it slowly builds
in its audaciousness, yet we cannot look away, even as the eyes behind the masks dare us to do so.
‘Masterpiece in Motion,’ Saturday, March 26, 8:30 pm; Little Haiti Cultural Complex, 212 NE 59th Terr., Miami;
tickets $35 General/ $15 Students; www.dancenowmiami.org (http://www.dancenowmiami.org).
Thursday, April 7, 8:30 p.m.; Miami-Dade County Auditorium On.Stage Black Box Theater, 2901 W. Flagler St., Miami;
tickets $35 General/ $15 Students; www.ticketmaster.com.
2 of 3
3/22/16, 10:45 PM
MA Z
:: DanceNow! Entertains and Educates
4/11/16, 7:12 PM
Click here to receive our weekly newsletter
Like
DanceNow! Entertains and Educates
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Company Pushes Envelope For Limon Tribute
By Cameron Basden
Keystone.
Photo credit Jenny Abreu.
Court Dance.
Photo credit Jenny Abreu.
SOGNI
Photo credit Jenny Abreu.
There is the momentary satisfaction of seeing So You Think You Can Dance, competition dance, the “new” modern look and flashy
choreography that is meant to catch your attention. After viewing these dance events, one is impressed, but is soon forgotten because
there is little substance, there is so much of it out there and it all starts looking the same. It doesn’t touch your soul. There is nothing
wrong with that, but it is just one voice of dance. In the Friday evening performance of DanceNow! Miami at the Aventura Arts &
Cultural Center, audiences were exposed to dance that was executed by well trained, beautiful dancers, that carried a history and paid
homage to masters in their field. The performance also contained new work that pushed the envelope and was captivating. To be
entertained, educated, inspired and come away with thought provoking ideas is what a performance should be, any performance.
Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the José Limón Company, former Limón dancer, Daniel Lewis, compiled a series of three works
arranged and tied together to homage this pioneer of contemporary dance. Limón’s work is different from work of today, especially in
the contemporary format. It includes vocabulary with angles, intricate footwork, matching body positions and petite allegro (little jumps)
where you can actually see if a mistake is made. In many present creations, one never knows if a mistake is made and perhaps it
doesn’t really matter.
Limón’s work takes commitment from the artists and many rehearsal hours to execute the technical aspects. It also takes artistry and
maturity to make it look effortless. DanceNow! offered a wonderful performance that will get even stronger as they perform it more.
Amy Deer and Luke Stockton swept the stage in a joyous excerpt from A Choreographic Offering that included paraphrases and motifs
from numerous Limón works. Jenny Hagarty and Anthony Velazquez carried a lovely intensity and focus in There is a Time. A magical,
serene moment was when the couple was encircled by the four other dancers with their arms extended in a supportive embrace. With
the joining of Allyn Ginns and Isvel Bello the group frolicked through the Beethoven Sextet in a challenging segment of unison,
couples, formations and intricacy. With a salute of honor and a bow of respect to each other, the dancers romped until a single empty
light in the middle of the stage paid homage to the great master, Jose Limón.
Carolyn Dorfman joined DNM with her dancers, Jacqueline Dumas Albert and Louie Marin presenting Keystone, a three part duet of
weight exchange and balance, unending physical contact and athleticism. A relationship based on trust and confidence is knocked
off kilter to become a question of existence. We see trouble in their paradise only to quickly realize that this is just a journey in the
path of all relationships, and it is resolved. Dorfman has a unique way of telling an understandable physical and moving story.
Seeing Dorfman’s duet was an eye-opening prerequisite to her movement and ability to execute narrative in the following piece
entitled Odisea.
http://www.miamiartzine.com/F eatures.php? op= A rticle_ DanceNow% 21+ Miami+ Entertains+ and+ Educates
Page 1 of 7
MAZ :: DanceNow! Entertains and Educates
4/11/16, 7:12 PM
The DNM dancers excelled in chronicling the physical and emotional journey
of the Jews who fled Recife, Brazil in 1654 to ultimately land in New York at
what is now the South Street Seaport. Having done the piece numerous times,
there was an extreme range in movement quality, emotion and intimacy that
has developed. We were compelled to join their struggle. The dancers had a
comfort and freedom in the expansive twists and turns, desires and questions
that Odisea necessitates which permeated their nuanced and passionate
journey. Allyn Ginns and Amy Deer carried the weight of generations in their
soulful interpretations.
After intermission, we were taken into a dreamworld with co-artistic director,
Diego Salterini’s new work entitled Sogni with a tag line The things my dreams
are made of. The colorless flesh body fitting costumes and effective lighting
created a magical illusion as the piece began with a clump of individuals
walking in slow motion facing away from us. Dreams are like that: a little
surreal, time is random and confusion may be rampant. Salterini got this
across in beautiful and unstructured structure in the first movement.
Odisea
Photo credit Jenny Abreu.
Valesquez continued the personalized journey in a sensual solo with a pace
that was almost like moving through molasses as he traveled up and down a
diagonal. How often have we screamed with no sound, run without arriving,
been lost or late? Color and humor added a whimsical touch with huge wigs,
lots of beads, hats, skirts and shiny leggings. Was it really humor or is that
exactly what happens in a dream? The chaos of things that don’t make sense,
the passage of the random person out of no where, the distorted sense of
time. Salterini hit the nail on the head. One audience member who had not
read the program notes said “It is just like a dream!” That’s always a good
sign.
The evening concluded with co-artistic director, Hannah Baumgarten’s
reworking of her piece Court Dance, originally created in response to the year
2000 election. With the present political conversation and tense atmosphere,
Baumgarten felt it an appropriate and important time to bring Court Dances
back. The tone is set with two dancers in silhouette ready to embark in
confrontation. The spread fingers said it all on a body rocking back and forth
ready for a fight. Slick black androgynous suits and faceless white masks used
harsh, abrupt movements against a percussive score to keep a mood of
tenseness and volatility. There was anger and discourse. One section changed
to unison in a puppet-like sequence before breaking out into whirling circles of
conflict and aggression. A slicing, surprise ending catches us off guard and out
of breath.
SOGNI
Photo credit Jenny Abreu.
Kudos to Baumgarten and Salterini for taking the risk to bring contemporary masterworks to Miami audiences while they continue to
offer their own choreographic voices. Kudos to the dancers for the growing sophistication, range and artistry in bringing these works
to fruition. As Baumgarten elegantly put it, the responsibility to educate various communities, entertain the public and honor the
tradition that we have been so fortunate to be a part of, is one that is not taken lightly. Support this company, see this company,
connect with this company and most of all, enjoy this company.
http://www.miamiartzine.com/Features.php?op=Article_DanceNow%21+Miami+Entertains+and+Educates
Page 2 of 7
MAZ :: Dance That Leaves Impression
http://www.miamiartzine.com/Features.php?op=Article_Dance+Tha...
Click here to receive our weekly newsletter
Like
Donate
MAIN MENU
K eyword S earch
S EA R C H
S how S ession Menu
Dance That Leaves Impression
DanceNow! Performs Program at Aventura Arts Center
2
Friday, March 18, 2016
By Cameron Basden
Odisea.
Co-artistic directors Hannah Baumgarten and Diego Salterini have been at the helm of
DanceNow! Miami since 2000. With their upcoming program at the Aventura Arts and Cultural
Center on Friday, March 18 entitled Masterpiece In Motion, Baumgarten and Salterini are
bringing to fruition the insightful programming that they have done over the past five years in
presenting masterworks of dance to the Miami area. What is a masterwork? While it is
continues to be a topic of discussion, in dance, masterworks are pieces that have historical
relevance, are distinctive and memorable — and have stood the test of time. They remain just
as pertinent and moving today as when they were first created. DanceNow! is a company that
honors tradition with masterworks as well as pushes the envelope with new pieces and, above
all, is thrilling to watch.
As Baumgarten puts it, “Last year we presented the work of Carolyn Dorfman (one of the major voices in contemporary
dance today), the year before that, we were privileged to present Gerald Arpino’s Light Rain pas de deux from Joffrey
Ballet which was a big deal for us considering we were the first modern dance company allowed to present that piece.
Prior to that, we had presented the work of west coast pioneer Tandy Beal and choreographer Michael Uthoff. So this
year, we moved forward and were invited to participate in celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the José Limón Dance
Company. We were very honored that former Limón dancer and dance aficionado, Daniel Lewis spent two months with us
to set the piece and work with us.”
For Friday's performance, Carolyn Dorfman herself will make a special visit to Miami with two of her dancers who will join
the performance. One of the dancers is a former DanceNow! Miami company member, so the circle continues in a bigger
way. In Act II, Salterini and Baumgarten will present their own work that they feel is exemplary of the next step, of where
they are going with their contemporary dance company.
Considering themselves to be the contemporary counterpoint to the more classical Miami City Ballet, the company honors
tradition with skillfully trained artists grounded in ballet, modern and jazz who are capable of being true to whatever dance
form and voice that the choreographer/choreography demands.
Salterini says ”we also believe that we need to move the needle forward with new ideas, new choreography, and new
projects. Next year we’re doing a piece by Doris Humphrey from 1953, so looking at the past, and then the year after that,
we are looking ahead with new contemporary choreographic voices from the national arena in dance. So we are going in
both directions — we are looking at the past and moving into the future!”
1 of 7
3/22/16, 10:46 PM
MAZ :: Dance That Leaves Impression
http://www.miamiartzine.com/Features.php?op=Article_Dance+Tha...
Court Dance.
Baumgarten notes, “When we formed our company, we were really on the crest of what is
now called contemporary dance. We didn’t know what to call it at the time. We called it an
international fusion of ballet, modern and jazz. And really now, that is what the
contemporary dance movement is made of - of fusing those three dance forms. That is
where the field is moving. I feel really proud that we were creating that kind of integrated
dance back then.”
In the upcoming performance, Salterini’s piece is called Sogni which, in Italian, means dreams. He says “The theme,
when I started creating the piece, was to delve into what happens when I dream. And hopefully, with some surprises,
some humor . . .and just some beautiful dancing” he added with a smile.
Baumgarten’s piece takes a different turn. Court Dance was originally created in re-sponse to the election of 2000. This
will be a new incarnation of the piece, complete with red ties and blue ties. With all of the political discussion going on,
Baumgarten says it is a very appropriate and important moment to be bringing the intense work back.
When asked what the audiences will feel or take away, Baumgarten talks intellect and Salterini talks emotion.
She says “Intellectually, this performance is a journey of time. Audiences will be trans-ported from the past through an
important history of dance, moving from an homage to a great American master and pioneer, José Limón, through the
Carolyn Dorfman piece, which is an homage to tradition, into our work which has a call to ballet, Graham, Limón, and other
dance traditions, but is pushing the boundaries of where dance is going. So it is sort of a trajectory of time as they journey
through the concert.”
Speaking from an emotional side, Salterini adds, “I want audiences to feel what I want to feel when I go to a performance. I
want to feel involved — not to be just sitting, but to be participating. To react to the movement, to the physicality of the
work. So it lasts, leaves an imprint on the heart, on the brain, on the soul. That is the only way, I think, dance survives.”
DanceNow! Miami will be adding new repertory to their performances as the spring season continues. Do not miss the
inspiring and yes, educational performances!
March 18, 8:30 p.m., Aventura Arts and Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188 St., Aventura, FL Tickets: $35 General / $15 Students (only at the door).
March 26, 8:30 p.m., Little Haiti Cultural Complex Theater, 212 NE 59th Terrace, Miami Tickets: $35 General / $15 Students (only at the door).
April 7, 8:30 p.m., In collaboration with the Miami Dade County Auditorium - Black Box Theater, 2901 W. Flagler St., Miami Tickets: $35
General / $15 Students (only at the door).
Forest Dreams.
2 of 7
Dance NOW Miami.
Photo by Jenny Abreu.
Melody Life.
Photo by Jenny Abreu.
3/22/16, 10:46 PM